Child's Dress 1935 - 1942

Virginia Berge created this watercolor painting of a child's dress. Although we don't know when it was made, Berge lived through immense cultural shifts, including women's suffrage, the Great Depression, and the Civil Rights Movement. This seemingly simple depiction invites us to consider the complex intersections of gender, domesticity, and labor. Berge's choice to depict a child's dress brings forth questions about the construction of girlhood and innocence. In the 19th and 20th centuries, clothing was a marker of identity. The dress represents a set of expectations and limitations imposed on women from a young age. It’s a symbol of the domestic sphere. Berge was raised by women, as her father died when she was very young. The meticulous rendering of the dress, with its delicate floral pattern, evokes a sense of care and attention. Berge's watercolor serves as a poignant reflection on the ways in which women's lives are shaped by cultural norms, family, and personal experiences.